Light wind winging: take off earlier and stay up through the lulls

Posted by WingFoil Admin on 2026-10-15

Most of us spend more sessions in marginal wind than we would like. SURF Magazin collected practical tips for getting up earlier and staying up longer.

Key takeaways from the SURF Magazin article "Wing foiling in light winds: Take off earlier, keep foiling for longer – the best tips": • Ride the gusts deliberately: gain ride height in a gust to build a buffer, then bear away onto a broad reach in the lull. Scan upwind for the dark patches that mark incoming gusts. • In marginal wind, try the wing about 1 psi under the recommended pressure. This matters most for riders under 70 kg. • Moving the foil 1–2 cm forward can give more lift and an earlier take-off. Do not go beyond 2 cm. • Tacks lose more speed than gybes, so avoid unnecessary tacks in light air. • Time your gybe exit to drop down the face of a small swell or chop and keep your speed.

What's your lowest-wind setup (wing, front wing, board), and what one trick keeps you flying through the lulls?

Source: Wing foiling in light winds: Take off earlier, keep foiling for longer – the best tips (SURF Magazin) — link below.